Friendguard
by Sarah Jo Dantess
Summary: Lily has been a lifeguard at her neighborhood pool for the past few summers. What will happen when she and James cross paths in the summer before 7th Year? What will happen when Lily's skills come in handy?
1. My Normal Summer Day

I basked in the warm summer sun, letting it penetrate my too long warmth-deprived skin. I wove my fingers together and stretched my arms over my head, the sounds of feet pounding the water, high-pitched children's laughter, mother's calls, and tweenage girls' conversations over magazines that they were too young to read entering my ears. I smiled delightedly. Ahh, summer.

With my arms still curled behind my head, my hands came down to rub the back of my tight shoulders. My fingers slid along my skin much too easily. _Slime_.

"Yeugh," I muttered to myself, rubbing the sunscreen in some more. Darn my pale skin. My friends from Hogwarts had been talking to me about my "problem" ever since we were new thirteen-year-olds, like the ones near my lifeguard chair giggling at some hot male's picture in the magazine they were fingering through. In third year, just at the school year's beginning and end, my friends lay out in the sun trying to tan while I protected my skin from its kindly deceptive rays. Could I help it that as a redhead I came along with skin the whitest of whites? Honestly, I should just quit going to Hogwarts and make my way in the world as a porcelain china doll.

Granted, when I'm fifty, I'm going to look great. They'll all be so leathery and old-looking, and I'll still have the skin of a newborn. I'll be _gorgeous_. At least that's what I keep telling myself, anyway. I do have this habit of laughing at everything, even if it doesn't happen to be particularly funny at the time. But, of course, I laugh all the time, and with every laugh comes a laugh line under my cheekbones. Maybe I'll just stop thinking about how old I look until I actually _get_ there. Then again, that won't help me. But hey, it's the bloody summertime, I'm lazy, and as Petunia says, "We'll cross that bridge when we _get _to it!"

I released a sigh from my lungs as my arms dropped to my sides. Petunia was always trying to put things off…well, except calling me a freak, that is. You should see her when she gets mad! She didn't used to be that way, but ever since she started dating that walrus of a male, Vernon, she seems to get peeved at me much more easily than usual. It's quite laughable, sometimes. Her eyes bug out, the veins in her neck seem to spring forward, she seethes and hunches over and her hands become these claws that she can't use because she just finished painting her nails. She looks so funny, and I chuckled to myself just picturing her. I would laugh right in her face, but that would only make things worse between us. _ It's not as if there's hope for us, anyway, _I thought as a sad smile crossed my face.

Out of the corner of my aviator shades I caught a few twelve-year-old boys from the neighborhood staring at me and snickering to one another…again. I looked down at myself. _Drat, _I thought. You know, growing up isn't as natural as some people think. You always assume yourself to be much younger than you actually are. And in this case, I keep thinking I'm still a kid when I'm actually all done growing and practically a woman by now. Next year in school is seventh year, so I'm getting close, anyway. As I looked down at myself discreetly so their immature eyes would not be following mine, I thought with slight annoyance with my absentmindedness, _Merlin's beard, I'm developed. I knew I shouldn't have worn this bathing suit today._

It was a Tuesday, that group of boys' regular pool visit day. Merlin knows what they did the rest of the week when they were in and out of here, but I'd forgotten that they'd be here all day today. Did they plan on being here the days they knew I was lifeguarding? Sometimes I remember to wear a red one-piece, or a red tankini on these Tuesdays, but today I'd forgotten and gone with my favorite red bikini, of course.

I quite enjoy this lifeguarding job, actually. I'd gotten it over the summers I'd been home since I was fourteen, in hopes of appearing a bit more normal to Petunia. She may be a right fool, but she's still my sister and I still want us to get along. I tried, but even though getting this job didn't help my case out too much due to Petunia's pure stubbornness that I'd been so fortunate to inherit as well, I had always enjoyed swimming and being out in the sun, and besides, I made money this way. Merlin, I sure love summer.

But I _didn't_ love those immature prats eying me now. _Might as well torture them if they're being so rude_, I thought to myself. I had no boss watching me right now, so I could stand to have a little fun. It isn't like any of those boys will ever have a chance with me, anyway. I'm seventeen, and they're twelve. Oh, please.

I stared at the space that was next to them, empty of persons, and lowered my shades from my eyes, raising an eyebrow smugly, allowing my light red lips to purse lightly. Sniggers emitted from their group immediately, and they hissed at one another before turning and waving at me. "Hi, Lily!" they called with failed attempts at deepening their voices. What came out was what sounded much younger than they actually were. I forced myself not to snort as I allowed my eyes to dart in their direction. Giving them a sophisticated nod of acknowledgement, I raised my sunglasses back up to my eyes and turned my gaze back to the afternoon play in the pool.

"Lily Evans, do my eyes deceive me, or do you go for younger men now?" a familiar, friendly voice asked me. I looked down from the chair to see two of my best friends, Hestia Jones and Alice Prewett with Frank Longbottom standing right next to the chair. I smiled down at them.

"Oh, Hestia. You know me all too well. I suppose you've caught me, now, haven't you? Say, what do you think of that blonde one over there?" I asked mischievously, jabbing my thumb in the giggling boys' direction. Yes, giggling. They were that young, after all, right?

Hestia laughed. "Nah. I think you'd be better off with that sandy-haired one, there." I shook my head with a chuckle and checked my sport watch.

"Lovely. Well, you all got here just in time." I fingered the whistle around my neck in between my lips and blew. "Break!" I yelled. Children began climbing out of the pool and heading back home with their mums for nap time. I eased off the chair and hopped down with a dive in. Close to middle of summer was the perfect time to be swimming because the water temperature was absolutely perfect. I let the water rush over my skin, through every hair follicle on my head, savoring its touch before I surfaced.

I tossed my hair back and ran my hands through the hair at the top of my head to get it out of my face. Hestia popped up next to me and splashed me. I'd already checked all the chemical levels during the last break, so I had this whole fifteen minutes to spend in the water. I splashed Hestia back, even bigger this time, and we soon were having an all-out war, to the trifling chagrin of Alice, who was still trying to put on tanning lotion. Ahh, yes, here we are back on the subject of Lily's sickly pale skin.

"Could you two keep it down in there? I'm trying to get a good complexion over here. Lily, do you want any?" she asked, offering me the bottle. Told you.

I shook my head. "Alice, I don't produce enough melanin for that stuff. It's only harmful, honest." Turning my eyes to Frank, I mouthed, "Sorry." He just smiled and threw his hands up in the air. I grinned. What a nice boyfriend he was. Alice must be so glad to have someone so willing to do anything for her. I just felt bad that he was the only guy here, so I splashed them both for good measure.

"Hey!" Alice screeched, annoyed. Frank was chortling and shaking all the water out of his hair, getting Alice even more wet. "Fra-ank," she complained.

"Oh, come on, love. You look great without that stuff! Besides," he said, taking the bottle from her and setting it on the ground, "It's almost four in the afternoon. You won't get much out of that, honestly." He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead determinedly. It worked. She beamed and hopped in next to Hestia and I, who had been watching the encounter with that awkward third-wheel feeling in our guts. As soon as she jumped in, the water only up to her waist, Hestia and I dunked her.

"LILY!" an annoyingly high-pitched voice screamed from the pool area's gate. I sighed, knowing who it was and turned around.

"Petunia, what is it? I'm working," I sighed. She was positively the last person I wanted to deal with at any given time of the day. Petunia stamped her foot and huffed.

"I can't find those black tights back at home and Vernon's coming to pick me up in half an hour! Where are they?" she whimpered like a little girl. Would it be for her benefit or mine to tell her how ridiculous she appeared to be right now?

I sighed, tolerating her antics. Was I used to it? Sure! Would I ever know how to handle her? Bloody hell, no. "Did you check the laundry?"

"Yes! And mum's room, and your room! Where else would they be?"

She went in my room. Again. I rolled my eyes. Petunia must have shown me the deed to my room before someone _obliviated_ me, because I hardly remember her having rights to the place. "_Your_ room?" I chided. Her eyes widened.

"Crap!" She turned on one heel and ran back the twenty yards to our house. I quelled the huff rising up in me and turned back to my friends.

"I am so sorry about that," I said, scratching the back of my neck. "I don't know what gets her so worked up all the time!" I leaned back and dipped the ends of my hair in the water.

"No worries, Lil. Petunia's always like that," Hestia said, rolling her eyes. "She has always been that way, though, hasn't she?" I shrugged.

"In a way, I suppose. Not as bad when we were children, though! We used to be best friends, even though she did have a tendency to use me as her doll sometimes." I shook my head and polished the shades on my aviators.

"She'll come around one of these days, Lily. I'm sure," Alice said, sounding less confident than she tried to. I half-smiled hopelessly.

"Maybe," I sighed. Noticing Frank sitting at the edge of the pool, awkwardly rubbing sunscreen on his shoulders and looking less than comfortable with this conversation, I changed the subject quickly. "So, what all has everyone been up to? I haven't seen you all for a few weeks!"

Alice then got to chatting about the two and a half weeks she'd spent in Greece…and then Frank said how much he'd missed her and she went into full "aww" girlfriend mode while Hestia and I shot looks at each other and scratched our heads uneasily. So Hestia told me about the time she was spending working on her broom skills, the number of times Sirius Black had sent her a prank in mail form that summer so far (to which I actually laughed for once...that wasn't Sirius' usual method of wooing, if that was what it was), and that she was going to stay at our mutual friend Dorcas Meadowes' family's friends' lake home in a week.

"Oh, Lily! I almost forgot! Dorcas asked me to invite you to come along too! Please? Alice might be going if her parents say it's all right, and Mary's going, and Dorcas knew I'd be seeing you today and thought that would be faster than by owl, so will you?" Hestia said quickly and excitedly. I laughed. Hestia was indeed the most charming girl I'd ever met.

"I'd love to, Hest! I'm sure my parents will be fine with that. For how long?"

"Just a few days. I _know_ we'd all much rather be lazing around at home." Hestia smiled sweetly at me and twirled a lock of her very wavy, long black hair in her finger. I grinned back.

"But really, Hestia. With all the stress we get during the year, doing nothing is positively _grand_," I replied. Hestia frowned at me with a touch of sass in her gold eyes.

"Now, Lily, it's July. Do you honestly think I'd like to discuss school with you?" she inquired, peeved. I chuckled and shook my head.

"I don't believe so." It was time for me to get back up in the chair and announce the end of the break, but the only people around the pool right now were those tanning tweens and the group of twelve-year-old boys, who, thankfully, had been ignoring me while I took my break. All the other small families had gone back home for late lunch or nap time, but I still had to do my job. I hoisted myself out of the pool, blew on my whistle, and hollered, "Swim!"

The twelve-year-olds gladly jumped in, prompting the rolling of many of the tween girls' eyes. I rolled mine with them, but not because they were "childish and uncool." I smirked at the girls rubbing tanning lotion on themselves and flipping through magazines, betting myself that in a few moments the boys would be ogling them and flirting. I sniggered as Hestia dunked Alice again and climbed up into the chair, glad for the shade of the umbrella. As I began to rub more sunscreen on myself (with my skin you can never be too careful), Frank and I made a little good conversation while Alice chased Hestia around in the water attempting revenge.

"So, Lily, have you found out about being a Head yet?" he asked, smiling. I laughed and rubbed slime on my arm.

"Shucks, Frank, you make it sound like I'm _already_ a Head student!"

"Don't be modest, Lily. We all know you're going to be Head Girl. There's nobody in our year who's more prepared for it than you," he said rather convincingly. I didn't argue, but I didn't outright agree with him, either.

"Well, Frank, I'm flattered, but no, I haven't heard anything yet. They won't let us know until we _all_ get our letters. So, we'll see." I slipped my shades on and squirted more goop into my hand, reaching down my legs to rub it all in. Merlin, this was annoying. "Have you seen anyone over the summer, Frank?"

Frank nodded and splashed some water in his hair. "Yep! I bumped into James and Sirius a while back and we hung around a little bit. They're actually going to meet us down here a bit later."

My hands stopped chafing the sunscreen into my legs and my head snapped up from where it was focusing my view onto my feet. James Potter and Sirius Black were coming _here? Today? Now?_ I wanted to leave…but, I realized, I was working, and couldn't. Hip hip bloody hurray.

I covered my reaction with a forced cough. "Oh…_ahem_…that's interesting…_hack_…sounds fun. _Grrh._ So, er, what'd you guys do?" I asked, trying to be polite. My disguise failed. Frank noticed my shock.

He emitted a small chuckle. "Lily, they aren't that bad," he said. I didn't say anything, but distracted myself by finishing off the sunscreen on my legs. I leaned back in the chair and bared my teeth at him, halfway between a smile and a gnash. He laughed. "I'm serious, Lily. They like to joke around, but they really are great friends and awesome guys."

"Well, Frank, my friend, that's good to know. Hey, you! Yes, you! No running! You'll crack your head open! I'm a lifeguard, not a surgeon!" I said to the air behind him, even though no one was actually running. It distracted him, though, and he turned to look, and I focused on the younger boys who were trying to coax the girls into the water. I snorted.

More families showed up around four-thirty that afternoon. I was off at six-thirty, so only two more hours to go and still no sign of Potter and Black. It eased my mind, to say the least. Hestia, Alice, and Frank had been in several splash fights, races, and resting sessions so far, during all of which I got to catch up with them.

Around four-forty-five, though, a problem arose. I had just called kid swim about five minutes earlier and was lounging in the tall, white, wooden lifeguard chair, looking forward to that hour of the day when I wouldn't have to put on sunscreen anymore, when a mum screamed. I stood up on the platform and looked to the woman, who was waving frantically at me and pointing in the middle of the very, very large deep end of the pool. I saw it immediately. A little brown-haired boy who looked around four years old, or at least way too inexperienced a swimmer to be in the deep end, had stopped moving entirely and was sinking.

I whipped off my shades and tossed them back into the chair. Gathering up all the strength my arms and legs could muster, I dove off the chair a long distance into the deep end, straight toward the child. He was already about five feet under the water and had six more to go.

Crashing beneath the surface, I tore at the water with my arms and legs and emerged on the surface. With quick strokes I was near him in seconds. I pushed myself underneath and swam down to him. Thankfully, he hadn't sunk all the way to the bottom just yet, but in my vision underwater, I noticed his lips were turning purple and he was even more pale than a person would appear underwater. I grabbed him by the arms and lifted him to the top, making sure to keep his head above water. With one arm and both my legs I propelled us to the edge of the pool, where I heaved him onto the pavement and climbed out quickly.

"Back up! Back up!" I shouted at the rubbernecking bystanders. They did as I said and I knelt next to the boy, turned him onto his stomach, wrapped my arms around his torso, and thrust my fists up into his rib cage. He began to heave in my arms. _Whew_, I thought. That was a good sign.

He coughed, and moments later, what appeared to be buckets of water mixed with vomit spilled onto the pavement_. _I heard several girlish shrieks, and assumed them to belong to the tween girls who had stopped tanning long enough to watch from their little salon area. Then the little boy started to sob. I looked up to his mother and motioned for her to follow me as I scooped him in my arms and hurriedly carried him to the medical facilities nearby. We got him into the building safely, but not before I passed by James Potter gaping at me in complete shock…or awe?


	2. No Burnin' Up Here

_Previously on Friendguard:_

_"Back up! Back up!" I shouted at the rubbernecking bystanders. They did as I said and I knelt next to the boy, turned him onto his stomach, wrapped my arms around his torso, and thrust my fists up into his rib cage. He began to heave in my arms. Whew, I thought. That was a good sign._

_He coughed, and moments later, what appeared to be buckets of water mixed with vomit spilled onto the pavement. I heard several girlish shrieks, and assumed them to belong to the tween girls who had stopped tanning long enough to watch from their little salon area. Then the little boy started to sob. I looked up to his mother and motioned for her to follow me as I scooped him in my arms and hurriedly carried him to the medical facilities nearby. We got him into the building safely, but not before I passed by James Potter gaping at me in complete shock…or awe?_

* * *

><p>I barely recognized him at all as I was walking by. Then again, I was rushing a child who had nearly drowned just moments before into the emergency clinic, and naturally, I told myself, I was distracted. I first spotted him standing at a considerable distance from me next to another boy his age with abundant black hair flowing down his neck and steely, gray eyes as I rounded the corner of the pool and jogged briskly toward the building, and I should have known it was him and Black, but I didn't until I got close enough to pass by them and pointed out his familiar head of messy, black hair and glasses. I had really hoped that the dripping tendrils of hair coming out of my wet ponytail to frame my face had been enough to hide my eyes darting straight to his shirtless chest, abs, and arms in a matter of less than two seconds.<p>

Merlin's long, white beard. James Potter was marvelously strapping. Oh where, oh where in bloody hell were my sunglasses to hide my shock when I needed them? The only thing that stopped me from embarrassingly ogling him was the convulsing toddler in my arms, and I picked up speed, lengthened my strides, and five seconds later kicked open the door with my toes and ran inside.

The medic on duty took one look at Eddie, the little boy, and was almost positive that he had some kind of the flu. That explained the vomiting, I thought. I bet he had choked on it while he was swimming, panicking and keeping it down instead of letting it out. My eyes opened wide. _Shoot! I have to call a break and put more chemical in before someone swims in influenza!_ Quickly I excused myself from the physician's office, still dripping wet, walked into the broad daylight while ignoring the cheers of those young ladies' men, and blew on my whistle. "Break! No swim!" I shouted as I grabbed the chemicals kit down from its shelf on the wall.

There weren't many folks in the water, thankfully, otherwise we might have an epidemic on our hands. Those who were in the water promptly got out, and I was glad I wouldn't have to wrestle anyone out. Not that I could, but I can hold my breath underwater longer than these people, I figure. I wasn't in the mood to be commanding right now, anyway. That little adventure sure was draining! I didn't get to save a life every day, after all. Well, that was fun.

Now, to get the germs out of the pool. I looked around as I jogged over to the lifeguard chair. Most of the younger families had left, I supposed, because they'd seen Eddie puking in my arms. _In my arms? Wait..._I questioned my word choice. If Eddie puked in my arms, then that perhaps meant that there was…

"Oh, _blech_!" I reacted under my breath with absolute disgust as I noted that there were, indeed, little bits of bile stuck to my legs from the knees down. Grossed out beyond what I can possibly dare to describe, I crawled up to the top of the chair and yanked my towel down, proceeding to scrub my legs as hard as I could. I was now one-hundred-percent positive that I'd be asking for a few showers for my birthday. Yes, those were that valuable to me at the time. You would love them as much as I do, too, if someone upchucked all over you.

I washed my hands clean at the sinks and measure out the proper chemical amounts, stirring them into the pool at various points. One of them was right next to Alice and Hestia.

"How much longer before we can get back in, Lily? It's hot," Alice complained, shielding her face from the sun with her arms. Hestia pouted with her lips and nodded.

"What are you even doing, Lil?" Hestia asked. I smiled sweetly at her as I sat on one leg and spread the other out on the edge of the pool. My silly pure-blooded friends. Might as well have a bit of fun with them.

"Isn't it obvious, Hestia? I'm brewing a Draught of Peace in the pool," I said impishly. "I have to calm all the Muggles down after that little incident, don't I?" Their jaws dropped and they were suddenly on the edge of their lounge chairs.

"Lily, you can't! No, you don't!" Alice hissed in a panic and made to grab the phial of chlorine from my hand. I held it out of her reach and laughed at them.

"Re-_lax_, you two, I'm only kidding! Pure-bloods," I muttered. "The little guy has the flu, I believe. Wouldn't want everyone in the neighborhood getting that, now do we? It's quite painful. I've had it three times," I recounted, my face taking a slightly sickened expression. I really have had the flu three times. It was horrible. Well…not really, actually. I can't remember the first two because I had those cases when I was a baby. Then I got the flu again when I was ten. I had to stay cooped up in my room the entire week. Mum absolutely refused to let me anywhere else. But hey, at least I had the upstairs bathroom all to myself with no Petunia, who by that point was getting to the age where one spends countless hours in front of the mirror every day without fail. Score one for Lily's poor immune system.

They looked at me with sad smiles. "Merlin, do I know what you mean, Lilsie!" Alice chimed. "I had it when I was eight. It was nasty," she said, looking ready to throw up and refusing to say more. I shrugged, nodded, and leaned down to dump the last bit of chemical into the pool.

"All right," I said, standing up and brushing my hands off on one another, "twenty minutes, and _then_ you can get back in. Until then, what d'you want to do?"

"Whatever. Hey, Lil, you're sure it's all right with your mum that a bunch of wizards are coming over to your house later?" Hestia asked, concerned. Merlin! I'd forgotten that they were all coming over…I sure hope Mum remembered. Wait, of course she did. I talked to her about it last night. Was the house a mess? I thought for a moment. No way, I concluded. My mum had this obsessive habit of straightening everything up all the time. I wondered sometimes if it were really a habit or that she just enjoyed it.

"Of course! And honestly, Petunia's the only one who's got an issue. You all can help me annoy her later," I winked. Frank walked over then, wiping the water out of his ears with his towel.

"Hey, Lil, you don't mind if James and Sirius join us at your house later, do you?" he asked. His greenish-blue eyes pleaded with me so that I couldn't stand it. Oh, why not?

There were a million reasons why not, actually, but now I valued being a good friend over any of my own personal problems. I caved and sighed.

"Okay, Frank, fine. But they'd better not break anything," I said, mostly thinking of Black. The delight in Frank's eyes that showed was enough to lift my spirits a little bit.

"Thank you, Lily! They won't, I promise, and you won't regret it!" I smiled weakly as he rushed back to his annoying guy friends again. I whipped around to face Alice.

"Does he always get his way with you, Alice? Those _eyes_ when he begs you! Gahhh!" I vented, raking my fingers through my hair. Alice chuckled.

"You learn to get used to it, Lil, trust me." I pouted.

"Hmph." Hestia looked at us and laughed.

"You two are _weird_," she said, lounging back on her chair and adjusting her sunglasses. She looked at us under her shades. "Tan?" she asked. Alice nodded, and I shook my head.

"Hest, it's five-thirty. Are you insane?"

"At least relax with us, Lily." I crossed my arms over my chest and shrugged.

"I'll relax, but I've got to do that from my lovely wooden chair up there right now. I'm working, remember?" I told her. She waved her hand at me.

"Go, then," she said in a sophisticated voice. "Do your work, and call for us when we can get back in." I chuckled and checked my watch. It had been about ten minutes since I'd finished putting the chemicals in. I decided to go back inside and wash the bile that still plagued my nerves from my legs, and check on Eddie while I was at it. I grabbed my sunglasses from the chair where they'd been sitting when I dove off of it and held them between my teeth while I French-braided my drying hair.

A few minutes later I was in the medical office, as cleaned up as I could be right now, and Eddie's mum was walking out with him asleep in her arms.

"How is he?" I asked. She looked down at her sleeping son and then back at me.

"It was the stomach flu," she said softly so as not to wake him. "You were right." I half-smiled sadly at her.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I hope he feels better soon. Give him plenty of chicken soup. That always helps me when my stomach doesn't want to cooperate," I advised. She smiled warmly at me and tucked her short, blonde hair behind her ear.

"I appreciate it. Everything. Thank you for taking care of him," she said most sincerely. I smiled back at her.

"No need to thank me, ma'am. I'm doing my job," I said modestly.

"What's your name?" she asked, curious.

"Lily Evans."

"How pretty!"

"Thanks," I giggled and checked my watch. It was about time to call for swim again. "I've got to get back to work, but take care, both of you," I said warmly as I held open the door for her to carry Eddie out.

"We will. You too, Lily." I grinned before watching her go and hustling back to the lifeguard chair. "Swim!" I bellowed after blowing on my whistle. To my delight, several splashes signaled much resumed activity. I glanced around. The pool held the perfect level of busyness and the vomit had been all cleaned up, thanks to the friendly custodians. I leaned back contentedly with my eyes closed and sighed. Life was good.

"All right, Evans?" an all too energetic voice said right next to me a few minutes later. I jolted and looked up. Without my noticing, Potter had climbed up and was kneeling on the platform in front of where I was sitting and was grinning at me ear to ear. Even though my eyes were hidden behind my sunglasses, I forced myself to look at his face and not his abs. Merlin, they were really great-looking…

_Oh, no you don't, Lily! He's smirking!_ I raised an eyebrow.

"I'm _fine_, Potter," I said coolly. "And yourself?" Potter rocked back on his heels.

"Bloody fantastic. You haven't hit me yet." The most amused look I'd ever seen crossed his hazel eyes. I pursed my lips.

"Yeah, well, you're about to get hit if you don't get down from here. I'm working! What if someone's drowning? Those few seconds I'd lose getting by you might cost a person their life, you know," I said smartly. Potter smirked.

"How right you are, my dear. I daresay it'll cost me my life if you hit me, however. I might fall and hurt myself." He grinned crookedly. It was almost cute, I thought. If only he wasn't such a lousy git.

"Now would that really be so bad?" I asked him, leaning forward, lowering my shades, and simpering at him. I leaned back in the chair and hugged my knees.

"Lily!" a high-pitched voice called. I half-expected it to be Petunia, but when I got up and walked past Potter to the edge of the platform, I saw that some of those stupid little prats were goggling at me again. The sandy-haired one was thrashing about in the water surrounded by his mates, but he was clearly not drowning. "Help me, Lily! I'm gonna drown! I need help!" I snorted loudly.

"No, you're not, Jack! Now mind your own business before I report you for harassing the personnel!" I shouted back at him. His friends booed him and I walked the few steps back to my chair, satisfied with myself. Except now Potter was in my chair.

"You know, Potter, I may have to report you, too, if you don't get out of my chair."

"But Lily," he fake-whined, "It's so hot out here and I'm so tired and your chair is so comfy," he offered, pouting. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Comfy? Please, Potter, it's just wood. No, really, get out of there. I need to be in the shade because I burn easily."

"I'll say," he said mischievously with a huge smile playing on his lips. I frowned.

"Merlin's pants, Potter. Really?" He winked at me.

"Really," he said, nodding with one upward movement of his chin. "But if you're so concerned about it, then you can always share this space with me." He rubbed the chair arm like one would pet a dog. I slapped my forehead.

"You're strange."

"That's my best feature, love." I shook my head.

"Don't call me that."

"Lily!" a little girl's voice called. I turned and looked back in the pool. A favorite neighbor of mine, a cute little taffy-haired girl names Annika, was standing on the edge of the deep end and smiling up at me.

"Hi, Annika! What's up?" I called back to her.

"My goggles fell down! Can you get them, please?" she asked politely, nodding at her mum, a friend of my mum's, and pointing in the deep end. I scanned the area and spotted her purple goggles.

"Sure, sweetie, I'll be right down!" I whipped back around to face Potter as I removed my glasses and set them down next to my feet. He was smiling at me in some way I'd never seen before. Like I was just a person, his best friend, or something, and not _the_ Lily Evans he was always flirting with. I kind of enjoyed the change for a moment, until I realized who I was referring to. I furrowed my brows and pointed at him threateningly.

"Potter, you had better be down there with Black and them by the time I get back up here. _Or else_." He winked at me and gave a thumbs-up. I rolled my eyes and hopped off the platform into the seven-foot water to fetch Annika's goggles.

He _was_ gone by the time I had climbed back up in my chair, I was thankful to discover. A part of me kind of missed him, though. It _was_ pretty fun to battle back and forth with Potter, I had to admit to myself. Still, a bigger part of me remembered everything he used to put me through.

Used to. _Used to?_ I thought with a start as I realized that Potter hadn't actually asked me out all of sixth year at Hogwarts. Weird. I'd gotten so used to avoiding him as often as I could that I'd forgotten all about that. He was still annoying, of course, I reminded myself as the previous conversation played in my head. I shook my head and turned my attention back to the pool, surprised that I was actually giving Potter any credit at all.

Six-thirty finally rolled around and I stood up and stretched. I checked myself over. No burns today! No "burn, baby, burn" for me! I chuckled at my silliness and spotted Hestia and Alice engaged in a splash fight with the other three boys, who, sadly, were winning. Clearly unfair. I decide to give them a hand and grabbed a giant water gun that the lifeguards at this pool stashed underneath the official seat. It was already loaded. _Drat_, I thought, _I totally should've used this on those twelve-year-old prats earlier_. I scolded myself for my lack of resourcefulness, aimed at Blacks head, and shot.

Hook, line, and sinker. I'm not even joking. I nailed him right in the eye and he sank beneath the surface for a moment. I brandished the gun as they all turned to see where the interruption had come from. Laughing wickedly, I aimed at Frank. He attempted to dart out of my way as I sprayed him in the neck. That's actually a lot more painful than it sounds, especially with this handy little thing. Pool lifeguards only go for state-of-the-art water pistols, after all. We also train for countless seconds to get perfect aim. Who knows when troublemakers might disturb the peace of the pool? We must be ready to save the day.

I pointed it at Potter, who held his hands up high. "No, Lily! Don't shoot!" he begged loudly. It was kind of pathetic, actually. Still, when would that be out of character for him? I laughed maniacally.

"I take no prisoners, Potter!" I shouted as I got him from the chest up. He pretended to die. "Heh heh," I sniggered as I put the gun away and dove in with them.

I managed not to get dunked by Potter's numerous attempts as we hung around the pool for a little while longer. When we were all positively prune-like, we hopped out of the water, dried off, and headed out the gate and across the surrounding grass to my house.


	3. Race, Lounge, Laugh, Love

_Previously on Friendguard:_

_I pointed it at Potter, who held his hands up high. "No, Lily! Don't shoot!" he begged loudly. It was kind of pathetic, actually. Still, when would that be out of character for him? I laughed maniacally._

_"I take no prisoners, Potter!" I shouted as I got him from the chest up. He pretended to die. "Heh heh," I sniggered as I put the gun away and dove in with them._

_I managed not to get dunked by Potter's numerous attempts as we hung around the pool for a little while longer. When we were all positively prune-like, we hopped out of the water, dried off, and headed out the gate and across the surrounding grass to my house._

* * *

><p>"Mum, we're home!" I called through the house as I tossed my towel onto the open garage door. It landed and hung on the doorframe with ease. I mentally gave myself a high-five. Why wasn't I a Chaser on the Quidditch team? Oh, yeah. Potter already took one of those spots, plus the one called captain, and so, naturally, I would have little to do with Quidditch except attending the matches to see my dear friend Marlene McKinnon rule all other Beaters at Hogwarts. No, really. She's ruddy fantastic. I was the first one of our little group of dormitory friends to guess that she'll be a professional, and I'm sure I'm probably right.<p>

"Hi, Lil!" Mum's voice echoed through the kitchen. Hestia and Alice were chatting with Frank, Potter, and Black, so I grabbed my huge green t-shirt and navy running shorts off one of the chairs as I walked into the kitchen and pulled them on over my bathing suit. I was met by my mum's denimed rear end sticking out of the refrigerator.  
>I coughed.<p>

"What're you doing, Mum?" I asked uncomfortably. The rest of her body followed my question out from behind the door and she wiped her hands on her jeans.

"Cooking, of course, Flower. How do you and your friends fancy steak and potatoes?" she asked warmly as she planted a kiss on my forehead and patted my cheek. I licked my chops. Steak and potatoes was even better than the butterbeer I miss so much during the summer. Merlin, I'll have to get me some of that when I go to Diagon Alley. Bloody hell, what am I thinking? I can Apparate now, can't I? Of course! I'll just grab Dorcas and get us both to Hogsmeade when I see her at the lake house. Blimey, that sounds like a blast!

In response to Mum's question, I nodded heartily. "That sounds fantastic, Mum! Oh, do you have enough for two more people?" I asked her uneasily. She nodded and gave me a questioning look. I chafed the back of my neck and lowered my voice. "Frank invited Potter and Black and I had to let him. He's too good at begging," I grumbled. Mum nodded understandingly.

"Sweetie, you ll only have to put up with him for one night. That s a nice thing for you to do for your friend, though. Just keep that in mind. And your father's here if the pigheaded toerag needs a little clobbery happening," Mum added with a wink. I chortled and shook my head. I truly have the best parents in the whole world. Mum offering for Daddy to beat up Potter may just be the most wonderful thing I've ever heard in my life. Besides, the laws in the Muggle world may have covered assault and battery, but have they said anything about clobbery? Nope! I doubted Dad would have to step in, but I graciously accepted her offer as Hestia and Alice came plodding into the kitchen. They ran straight at Mum and sandwiched her in a tight hug.

"We missed you, Mrs. Evans!" Hestia said like a child reuniting with their older sibling gone to camp for a week and a half. That child may or may not have been me when I was younger, I noted.

"Never banish us from your home for that long ever again!" Alice piped in.

I laughed. "You're getting her wet, guys." They pulled back immediately, bumping into the counter and kitchen table, uttering excessive apologies. Mum shook her head at me and laughed.

"Just damp, Lil, that s all. How are you two? And I don't remember any decrees of banishment! Am I going to have to have a little chat with Mr. Evans?" she said to them congenially. They instantly looked as if they had something to hide and burst into some of the cutest giggles I've ever seen. How in Merlin's name did I end up being best friends with the most adorable girls in the wizarding world? Bloody hell, my life is good. I slung my arms around their shoulders and chuckled.

"Maybe you should banish them again, Mum. They re turning into major troublemakers," I said with a wink. Speaking of troublemakers, I remembered that there were currently three teenage boys in our entrance hall where my mum displayed some of her fancy china. Uh oh. "Guys? Did you leave those boys alone in there?" I asked weakly. They laughed and slid out of my grasp to walk into the entrance hall as if there was absolutely nothing to worry about. Uh huh, and screaming yo-yo's don't acutally scream. Sure.

"The coast is clear, Lily! They haven't broken anything, if that's what you were afraid of!" Hestia called a moment later. Merlin's beard, how did she know me so well? I thought for a moment that she might really be a Legilimens. How could she not tell me? Hmm. I should learn Occlumency.

I French-braided my hair as I walked with Hestia and Alice out to the backyard with the guys trailing behind us. It was still pretty light outside, but when I saw Alice try to lie down on a sunny spot in the grass I shook my head at her.

"Really, Al? You can t get a tan right now."

"Yeah, Al, I want a tan as much as the next girl, but you re being a little ridiculous," Hestia chuckled. Finally! Someone who agreed with me that tanning is overrated! Alice stood up and pouted.

"Fine. But whichever girl got the least amount of tan today gets attacked by the other two," she said evilly, grinning at me. Hestia chuckled wickedly at Alice and shot me the same devilish grin.

Oh, shoot. Adrenaline shot through my veins and my amygdala fired neurons carrying the message of fear through my brain as my legs took flight from them and sprinted all around our backyard almost instantaneously. They had fake nails from when I'd taken them with me to get my nails done (for the first time in about three years) earlier in the summer! While gelled-on nails are great back-scratching tools, they can also be mortally dangerous weapons. I thought about the soft, sensitive skin of my throat being slashed open by their daggers and covered my neck with my hands as I yelped and dashed behind the guys, thinking to take cover. However, they, not knowing what was going on as the complete _boys_ that they were, moved aside as I crouched behind them, and I was forced to get back to my feet and run faster.

"Come on, you two! This isn't fair! I can't tan to save my arse!" I yelled frantically across the yard while my lungs pounded. I sprang through the swing set and spotted the trees at the back of the yard. Aha! Petunia would always scold me for wanting to climb them and then she would go into the aforementioned angry mode as she watched me happily climb the afternoons away. I could still do that, right? I haven't climbed a tree since last summer, but, figuring I still could because it was something I occupied a considerable part of my childhood with, I darted to the tree, jumped up, grabbed onto the nearest branch, and hoisted myself up.

I was weak. I suppose being smaller gives one an advantage when they climb trees as a child, and though Mum tells me I'm lean, I'm definitely not small anymore. My poor arms discovered this as they, with great difficulty and requiring assistance from my feet against the tree trunk, heaved me up onto the branch. Once on my feet on this branch that was about six feet from the ground (How on earth was I able to climb that as a kid? Oh, right. I used Petunia against her will), I leapt up to the next one about two feet away. Piece of pumpkin pasties.

A few branches later I was out of Alice and Hestia's reach, and at least I knew shortcuts and safe ways to get to the other trees should they climb up after me. But for now, I hung from a tree branch by one arm, standing on the one below it, and laughed in their faces.

"You'll never catch me!" I called down in a sing-song voice. Several yards underneath me, Hestia was laughing uncontrollably while looking up at me, and Alice huffed.

"Lily, I swear to Merlin I'm learning new things about you every day, I tell you!" Hestia said, sounding somewhat awed by my little feat. Yep, Lily Evans, ladies and gentlemen, world s greatest backyard tree hopper, who doesn't have a bit of muscle to show for it. Well, the title sounds pretty cool, I guess.

Frank, Potter, and Black came to stand behind them during all the commotion, looking unsure of whether to laugh or scoff until they saw that Alice and Hestia had me up a tree.

How far up was I by now? I looked. Oh, nothing, but since when did these trees get so tall? I always thought they had stopped growing, but with me up nearly twenty-five feet from the ground and still thirty more feet, I think, to go, I felt very, very small and nervous up there. Oh, Merlin's beard, I always have to act first and think later, don't I? Bad Lily!

Loud, boyish guffaws reached my ears and I rolled my eyes. What was so funny about this, honestly? We're girls! We do these things, you know! Some of us, anyway. I was pretty positive that this was where _I'd_ gone sometimes when Petunia and I started a little squabble, but _Petunia_ would never dare let the nasty, outside-scented bark of a mere tree touch her skin, hair, or clothes. That was beneath her, so whenever she would run after me with the intent of harm, I'd run straight up a tree, but not before swinging one good kick at her gut on my way up. And, mind you, I usually always hit, and it was always bloody satisfying.

"Oi, Lily! Have you been taking Care of Magical Creatures for too long? I think you might be picking up some beastly habits!" Frank laughed, gaining another round of snickers from the group.

I frowned. _Ba-ha-ha_. I'm about to pee myself because that's so funny. I almost did laugh, though, at sweet little Frank's pathetic attempt at humor. I settled for plastering a cute grin onto my face.

"Thanks, Frank, love you too," I said to him, my tone smothered in sarcasm, as I crossed to another branch closer to their side of the tree and sat on it with my legs dangling down. Alice chuckled.

"Oh, please, Frank, she looks adorable up there!" she cooed, her voice assuming something much like what my mum used to when she would dress me up for a party or something when I was six. That's when I noticed her utterly motherly tone and begged her to stop using it in front of anyone. Of course, that never helped me out too much. She found it funny to be so embarrassing. I wrinkled one side of my nose as my eyebrows raised at her.

"Adorable?" I squeaked, faking taking offense. "Alice!" Alice and Hestia laughed.

"You really do look cute up there, Lil!" Hestia called, thankfully not sounding any bit like Mum. I shrugged.

"Come on! I just escaped your attack and now you're calling me cute? Really!" I squealed. This was getting a little too fun. I decided to kick it up a notch and grinned.

I looked at the space next to me on the branch enthusiastically, then shouted back down to them, "Hey, Alice! There s a lovely black widow up here! Would you like to pet it?" Alice_ hates_ spiders. I chuckled to myself and grinned as I picked up the fake spider, which was actually a set of twigs, and watched her freeze in terror as I held it over her head and pretended to let it crawl all over my hands.

"_LILY!_ DON'T! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" she bellowed in a panic. I sniggered. Excellent, as planned.

"It's only a poisonous spider, Alice! It won't hurt-OW! _Bloody freaking Merlin, it bit me_!" I hollered, making a face of true horror at the twigs in my hands.

They totally bought it. Alice and Hestia screamed, and the boys' faces went pale. All five of them went into full panic mode. It was so hilarious and so well thought-up that I figured I should receive an award for special services or something of that nature. I was a genius, and a great actress, at that.

"Lily! Oh my Merlin! Get down here, right now!" Potter called up, looking truly concerned. It was nice of him, I thought. Having him fooled was too much fun, though.

"Lily, that needs medical attention right away!" Hestia screamed. She wants to be a Healer, of course this is what she would say. She's always hanging around in the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey and knows so much about Healing already that I'd deem her official. Alice's panic didn't match with the rest of the group's, however. While they were all caring, apparently it was in Alice's character to scold.

"Lily, I can t believe you! That's such a dumb thing to do! That's...that's just-"

"Not real!" I called down, a huge grin spreading over my face as I showed them my little stack and tossed it down. It landed gently and they all gaped at it in disbelief. I laughed so hard I thought I might fall out of the tree.

I was thoroughly out of breath when Black finally cleared his throat, looked up at me, and with awe in his grey eyes, breathed, "Lily Evans, that was bloody brilliant. I now have complete respect for you."

I grinned down at him. Sirius Black actually wasn't that bad of a person, I had to admit sometimes. He was just well, different from me. He was good-natured and smart, too...well, never mind, clever is a better word. Smart usually applies to applying yourself in school, which he doesn't do very much. He just seems to know what to do anyway.

"Thank you, Sirius," I said sweetly. I looked around before glancing back to the group's gazing eyes and chewing on my lip. "Erm. I don't really think I remember how to get down from here," I said, a little embarrassed. Whoops.

Naturally, they all thought that was hilarious and started to chortle again. I rolled my eyes and ignored them, inching down the branch I was sitting on to another branch I knew would get me to another lower branch and an easier climb down from there would have me back on the ground where I belonged. That sure was fun, but I was starting to get a little uneasy up there. Besides, I needed to wash my hands. I'm sometimes a germaphobe.

"Hey, Lily!" someone called. I looked up to see who it was, but not before I fell off the branch. Yes, you read that correctly. I fell off.

"EEP!" I squealed. I never hit the ground, though, because my arms and legs instinctively grabbed onto the branch before I could fall too far and wrapped around it. A gasp emitted from the five. "Bloody hell," I muttered, annoyed with myself. How was I ever going to hear the end of this?

"Lily! Are you okay?" I looked down. Hestia was several yards beneath me, looking up anxiously. I nodded. Suddenly I remembered the conversation I'd overheard while I was working today. This little girl and her brother were absolutely obsessing over koala bears for some reason. I had thought it was so cute, and hey, koalas _are_ cute! Those giant spoon-looking noses and fat arms and legs get me every time I see a picture of one. I giggled.

"Yep! Look, Hestie...I'm a koala! Hee-hee-hee," I said to her, assuming koala face and position.

Good thing nobody else was looking. She slapped her forehead and I continued to inch along the branch until I could unwrap my legs from the one I was attached to and let them stand on a lower branch. Hey, that worked out all right. Maybe I should be Worl'd Greatest Tree-Hopper-Or-Something. I eased my way down a few more branches until I was next to Hestia on the ground. I brushed my hands off on one another. "Well, that was fun. What next?" Hestia's gold eyes pierced my green ones warmly as she smiled and shook her head.

"Have I told you that you are too easily entertained for your own good, Lily? You just took an extremely dangerous situation and turned it into a joke about _koalas_. I'd never even heard of those until you showed me pictures two years ago." I sniggered.

Half an hour later the sun was splashing its shades of orange, red, pink, and blue across the sky as it was sinking, and we lazed on the grass in a circle talking together, having had enough adventure, if you dare call it that. Ahh, summer.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Hestia suggested. Everyone showed their various forms of consent, and Alice went first. "Truth or dare, Alice?"

"Dare!"

"Okay. Any suggestions?"

"Drink pickle juice while eating a black pepper Every Flavour Bean," I suggested. Alice was going to have to pay me back for torturing me with her unhealthy tanning obsession all day sometime, so I figured now would be fantastic.

Pickles are what brought Alice and I together as friends, you see. At one of the feasts on the first week of term during our first year at Hogwarts, Mary MacDonald politely asked if anyone wanted her pickles. Alice and I happened to notice the look of disgust upon one another's faces and have been friend ever since. It was a truly brilliant suggetion of mine, I believe. Everyone but Alice looked at me with delight on their faces.

"Excellent, Lily! Ohh, that's horrible," Hestia said enchantedly. I laughed and conjured some of both with my wand.

"Bon appétit," I said cheerily as I passed them to her. She glared at me. "What? You asked for a dare, Alice," I reminded. She shrugged and swallowed the pickle juice and Every Flavour Bean quickly. A moment later she showed us that her throat was burning. Her eyes watered and she started to cough.

We all chuckled loudly as she choked, "Aguamenti," with her wand pointed up her nose and in her face. Merlin, Alice Prewett is quite the humorous one. After she had thoroughly showered her face and nose, Frank was next, and he asked for truth. "You're very clumsy, Frank. What's the clumsiest moment you've ever had?" Sirius asked. Frank chuckled and looked off, thinking. After chewing on his lip for about a minute and a half, he clapped his hands to his face and laughed.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he asked Sirius knowingly. Sirius snickered.

"Would I lie to you?" he asked impishly, putting a hand over his heart. I snorted. Folks always had to watch out for Sirius Black. I just know that he'll always be the guy sneaking up behind you to pull some hilarious practical joke. Hell, he'll probably be the first to succeed in escaping from Azkaban. Anything else would be out of character.

Frank started to answer "yes," and Sirius narrowed his eyes at him, so Frank told us his story. "Okay. I think this was quite the accomplishment, even for us clumsy folk. You have to be quite skilled and agile, I believe, to trip over your own two feet while standing still, not doing a thing, and from there continue to trip over your feet about ten times until you slip on a spilled stack of parchment and land face-first in a cauldron full of a draught of living death. What do you guys think?"

No one said anything. For about three seconds, we stared at him in silence, our mouths gaping. Since when can anyone but lanky Frank do something like that? I'm pretty sure that _does_ require skill. If only we had a Clumsiness O.W.L. He'd ace it. Frank didn't squirm under our gazes, but the corners of his mouth jerked upward immediately when we guffawed to no end.

"Only you, Frank. Only you," Hestia said, wiping her eyes when she caught her breath.

"That's incredible, Frank! I've underestimated your agility, it seems! You should be our Seeker next year with reflexes that land you in a cauldron!" James chortled. Hey, maybe that's not a bad...blimey. I just called Potter _James_? _Why_? That's it. I've been in the sun too long. I'm quitting my lifeguard job tomorrow.

Ah, hell no, I'm not quitting. I shouldn't be blaming my overprotected skin, I should be blaming Ja-_POTTER'S_ boyish, brawny biceps I now found myself looking at again. I jerked my eyes back to Frank, who was telling Potter it was his turn.

Ah, what the bloody hell? I'll just have to call him James in my head if it slips out. I already called Sirius by his first name. Then again, _he'd_ certainly not been trying to get my attention for the past six and a half years since we'd known one another. I tried not to think about it much more as James asked for truth.

"Lily!" Mum's voice reached my ears outside. Perfect getaway. I should hug her more often.

"Wooop, gotta go!" I said, getting off the ground and dashing inside. Hoping I hadn't looked to eager to leave, I found Mum carrying a very large bag of potatoes from the garage.

"Help me with this, will you?" she groaned, her knees bending even more with the effort. I went up to her and grabbed the huge sack before she dropped it and heaved it onto the counter.

"Mum, where in Merlin's name did you get this?" I asked, bewildered, as I fingered a piece of string from the old-looking sack. "Do we live in Ireland on a potato farm now?" Mum shook her head and chuckled.

"Close. I got them at the farmer's market. Petunia wants us to eat more natural foods, apparently." I frowned and poked at the bag.

"But they're potatoes, Mum. They're all as natural as they can get." Mum shrugged and shooed me toward the yard after telling me that dinner would be ready in about forty-five minutes. Mmmm. I could taste the steak already.

When I got out to the yard, Alice and Frank were busy in their usual "No, you're cuter" ordeal...Merlin, I hoped that wasn't going to be their whole relationship...and Sirius was arguing, I think, with Hestia. Or competing in a battle of the insults or something else. Who could tell? Those two were always at something. Potter smiled at me awkwardly and tugged at the hairs on the back of his head. I eyed the other questioningly and looked back at him. He just shrugged, so I sank down onto the grass next to him, about a good three feet away, mind you. See, I haven't lost my marbles.

"What're they doing?" I asked quietly, jerking my thumb in the direction of the two, ah, "couples," we'll call them. Potter just shrugged and messed up his hair again.

"It'll turn into lovers' quarrels, if you ask me," he said with a mischievous smile. I ignored his comment and his stare that followed by bringing my knees up to my chest and tucking my chin into them as I played with a blade of grass. "You know, Evans, you're not that bad at saving lives," he said genuinely.

I turned my attention back to him, and noticed the way his eyes that would normally bore right into me annoyingly close were sort of...reserved, held back, this time. As though he were being completely honest with just anyone, a good friend, even. I sort of liked it, as much as admitting that unnerves me a little bit. Given the chance to actually breathe and have personal space, I was able to distinguish the the different colors in his bright hazel eyes. Specks of gold, grey, and green everywhere. It was quite breathtaking, all right, I confess. I've always thought people's eyes were the best thing about their physical appearance, and Potter's were no exception.

After a moment I answered him. "You mean with Eddie back at the pool or saving myself by climbing a tree earlier?" I asked, the slightest touch of mischief cloring my tone. Potter smirked.

"Then you're better than 'not bad,' I suppose. But I did mean with the little guy, actually. What happened with him?" he asked, his smirk spreading back into a normal face anyone would have during a conversation. Hell, it actually _was_ a conversation, and not a battle of wits. I decided to enjoy it while it lasted.

"Stomach flu," I said sadly with a slight grimace. Potter's face drew back into the most disgusted look I've ever seen. I sat up and chuckled. "Don't worry, Potter, I cleaned it all out. Not that he threw up in the pool or anything. I got him out in time, thank goodness. Germs, you know. Those have to be cleaned up." Potter was chuckling along with me now. He ruffled his hair and exhaled.

"Incredible. Where'd you learn to do all that? You know, when you were making a potion out of the water or something and what to do when the little guy wasn't breathing or whatever." I snorted. But, I was immensely glad at the same time. At least _somebody_ appreciated my little potion joke. I scratched the back of my neck.

"Making a potion? Seriously?" I asked him, thoroughly entertained. He smirked and shrugged. "I trained for all of it. Took about five classes lasting around forty-five minutes each. I learned to swim so well my entire life, however," I added smugly. He lowered his voice and sounded kind of nervous when he spoke next.

"Well, your whole life or no, I thought it was all pretty cool, what you were doing out there." I kind of smiled at that. With Hestia, Alice, or any of my other friends, we usually joke around and make fun of each other. We have our serious moments, of course, but those don't come that often. Unless one of us is really having a bad day. I wasn't having a bad day, though, and Potter and I had managed to cover every aspect of normal conversation and friendship in our brief talk. I have to admit, I quite enjoyed it. It was like we were actually friends, if only for a minute.

Mum called us in for dinner a while later, after Alice and Frank were convinced that they were equally cute and Sirius and Hestia had come to a mutual concession to leave an hour of break time from one another's jabs.


End file.
